Freshman Charde Hannah scored in the 22nd minute, and South Alabama defended its Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship with a 1-0 win over Troy on Sunday, earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Winning Goal
Hannah redirected a long free kick from sophomore Nikki Shirtcliffe into the net for the only goal of the match. It was the first goal Troy had allowed in more than 600 minutes of play. The Trojans entered the final on a six-match winning streak.
Troy pressed after halftime and outshot South Alabama 7-3 in the second half. Sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Hay made five saves, four of them after the break, to preserve the shutout.
Hannah Named Most Outstanding Player
Hannah was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring three goals in the event. Her goal Sunday was her 20th of the season, one short of the school single-season record of 21 set in 1999.
Hannah was one of five Jaguars named to the All-Tournament team, along with Nini Rabsatt-Smith, Hay, Rio Hardy and Shirtcliffe.
Record Season
The victory improved South Alabama to 19-2-1, a school record for wins in a season. The Jaguars are unbeaten in their last 18 matches.
Winkworth: “Sometimes Teams Have to Win With Hard Work”
“My girls were fantastic,” South Alabama head coach Graham Winkworth said. “They battled. It wasn’t always pretty but sometimes teams have to win with hard work alone. We played some nice stuff, particularly in the first half, moving the ball around, but in the second half, we just had to grind it out.”
Winkworth said the team’s youth was not a factor. “If they’re good enough, they’re old enough, so it doesn’t matter what grade they’re in,” he said. “We’ve got good players in every age category. It’s a squad effort; they push each other all day long to get better.”
NCAA Selection
South Alabama will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination when the field is announced Monday at 2:30 p.m.
